Artist Insight - Rocco Grossi

Artist Insight with Rocco Grossi

We sat down with Rocco Grossi (@Rocco_g) to ask him some question about his background with photography, what gear he uses, favorite shoot locations and much more.

Which camera do you use?

I currently use a Canon 5d mark II

Do you prefer to use a tripod, or freehand?

Most of the time I shoot freehand and only use a tripod if I need to shoot a long exposure.

What are some of your favorite locations to shoot?

That's a tough question. I love shooting in Philly and NYC. But I also enjoy shooting nature landscapes.

What time of day do your prefer to shoot, night or day?

I prefer to shoot at sunrise or sunset.

What brought you into photography?

Well I really enjoy traveling. So originally I bought a camera to take photos with on my trips. But then I found that people were exploring different unseen locations in the Philadelphia area. This is what inspired me to get more serious with taking photos. Through Instagram I was able to meet up with other talented photographers and learn from them as well. I am still learning!

How long do you spend editing a photo?

It depends. I have several presets that I've created myself. I typically will use one and then tweak it from there. Could be 10 minutes or sometimes I can zone out and work on a photo for over an hour or so.

Which program(s) do you use for editing?

I use Lightroom and sometimes Photoshop.

Do you have any advice for someone getting into photography?

My advice would be to just get out there and experiment. Meet up with people and take pointers from them. Get to know and understand aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. There's tons of YouTube tutorials as well so don't sleep on that.

What type of images do you think your presets are best suited for?

My presets will work well with street photography, sunsets or sunrises. Everyone's style is different though, try em on any photo and tweak it from there. That's what I do anyway.

Do you have any tips or tricks for users of your presets?

Just to play with the sliders even after you've used a preset. Increase or decrease contrast, highlights, or exposure until the photo meets your liking. The tone curve is also a good tool to play with too.

Your best tip for post-processing an image

Every image is different and there's not one formula to it. Be open and try new things and styles.

What inspired you to get involved in the AOV community?

I've always been a fan of the @artofvisuals Instagram page every since I created my IG account. So I was honored when I was given the opportunity to share some of my presets with AOV. I support their movement and vision.

A little bit about yourself

I'm 28 living in the Philadelphia area. I love the ig community here and have met some really cool people all through Instagram. I'm a recovering addict; so exploring, traveling, shooting photos, and editing photos have all provided me with that excitement and rush that I sometimes long for. I am also heavily into fitness and health. My dream is to travel to Japan as as well as some major cities in China. I am planning on making the Japan trip happen in May 2017. We'll see!